Efficacy and safety of catheter-based thrombectomy versus catheter-directed thrombolysis in acute pulmonary embolism.

Data comparing catheter-based thrombectomy (CBT) and catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) in acute pulmonary embolism are lacking. To address this, we performed a meta-analysis of prospective and retrospective studies of CBT and compared it to performance goal rates of mortality and major bleeding from a recently published network meta-analysis. When compared with performance goal for CDT based on historical studies, CBT was noninferior for all-cause mortality (6.0% vs 6.87%; P-valueNI < .001), non-inferior and superior for major bleeding (4.9% vs 11%; P-valueNI < .001 and P < .001 for superiority).

Low left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral predicts normotensive shock in patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

In this study, we found that a low LVOT VTI (<15 cm), a simple bedside point-of-care measurement, predicts normotensive shock in patients with acute intermediate-risk PE.

Quality and rapidity of anticoagulation in patients with acute pulmonary embolism undergoing mechanical thrombectomy.

The primary objective of our study was to determine the proportion of intermediate-risk PE patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy (MT) who achieved therapeutic anticoagulation (AC) at the time of the procedure. The salient findings of our study showed that only a minority of patients (14.3%) were in the therapeutic range by ACT at the time of MT (primary outcome). Furthermore, in this higher-risk PE cohort selected for MT, 18.2% of patients were subtherapeutic after initially reaching therapeutic AC, 43% experienced supratherapeutic AC at some point before MT, and less than half (43%) attained therapeutic AC at 6 hours, highlighting the necessity for optimizing anticoagulation practices in acute PE.

Prognostic performance of the IABP-SHOCK II Risk Score among cardiogenic shock subtypes in the critical care cardiology trials network registry.

BACKGROUND: Risk stratification has potential to guide triage and decision-making in cardiogenic shock (CS). We assessed the prognostic performance of the IABP-SHOCK II score, derived in Europe for acute myocardial infarct-related CS (AMI-CS), in a contemporary North American cohort, including different CS phenotypes. METHODS: The critical care cardiology trials network (CCCTN) coordinated by the TIMI study group is a multicenter network of cardiac intensive care units (CICU). Participating centers annually contribute ≥2 months of consecutive medical CICU admissions. The IABP-SHOCK II risk score includes age > 73 years, prior stroke, admission glucose > 191 mg/dl, creatinine > 1.5 mg/dl, lactate > 5 mmol/l, and post-PCI TIMI flow grade < 3. We assessed the risk score across various CS etiologies. RESULTS: Of 17,852 medical CICU admissions 5,340 patients across 35 sites were admitted with CS. In patients with AMI-CS (n = 912), the IABP-SHOCK II score predicted a >3-fold gradient in in-hospital mortality (low risk = 26.5%, intermediate risk = 52.2%, high risk = 77.5%, P < .0001; c-statistic = 0.67; Hosmer-Lemeshow P = .79). The score showed a similar gradient of in-hospital mortality in patients with non-AMI-related CS (n = 2,517, P < .0001) and mixed shock (n = 923, P < .001), as well as in left ventricular (<0.0001), right ventricular (P = .0163) or biventricular (<0.0001) CS. The correlation between the IABP-SHOCK II score and SOFA was moderate (r2 = 0.17) and the IABP-SHOCK II score revealed a significant risk gradient within each SCAI stage. CONCLUSIONS: In an unselected international multicenter registry of patients admitted with CS, the IABP- SHOCK II score only moderately predicted in-hospital mortality in a broad population of CS regardless of etiology or irrespective of right, left, or bi-ventricular involvement.

Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy in acute pulmonary embolism: Outcomes from a safety-net hospital.

BACKGROUND: Our study aims to present clinical outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in a safety-net hospital. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of intermediate or high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) patients who underwent MT between October 2020 and May 2023. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. RESULTS: Among 61 patients (mean age 57.6 years, 47% women, 57% Black) analyzed, 12 (19.7%) were classified as high-risk PE, and 49 (80.3%) were intermediate-risk PE. Of these patients, 62.3% had Medicaid or were uninsured, 50.8% lived in a high poverty zip code. The prevalence of normotensive shock in intermediate-risk PE patients was 62%. Immediate hemodynamic improvements included 7.4 mmHg mean drop in mean pulmonary artery pressure (-21.7%, p < 0.001) and 93% had normalization of their cardiac index postprocedure. Thirty-day mortality for the entire cohort was 5% (3 patients) and 0% when restricted to the intermediate-risk group. All 3 patients who died at 30 days presented with cardiac arrest. There were no differences in short-term mortality based on race, insurance type, citizenship status, or socioeconomic status. All-cause mortality at most recent follow up was 13.1% (mean follow up time of 13.4 ± 8.5 months). CONCLUSION: We extend the findings from prior studies that MT demonstrates a favorable safety profile with immediate improvement in hemodynamics and a low 30-day mortality in patients with acute PE, holding true even with relatively higher risk and more vulnerable population within a safety-net hospital.

Building a cardiogenic shock response team: key considerations necessary to improve outcomes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review provides key information about cardiogenic shock (CS) teams, including published evidence and practical recommendations to create a CS team and program. RECENT FINDINGS: CS is a complex disease process with a high in-hospital mortality rate ranging from 30% to 70% according to recent registries and randomized studies. The explanation for the elevated rates is likely multifactorial, including the various etiologies of cardiogenic shock as well as delays in recognition and deployment of appropriate therapies. Accordingly, the use of cardiogenic shock team has been implemented with the aim of improving outcomes in these patients. The CS team typically consists of members with critical care or cardiac critical care expertise, heart failure, cardiothoracic surgery, and interventional cardiology. A number of retrospective studies have now supported the benefits of a CS team, particularly in selecting the appropriate candidates for tailored mechanical circulatory support therapies and providing interventions in a timely manner, which have translated into improved outcomes. SUMMARY: CS teams provides a platform for expedited recognition of CS and timely, standardized, and multidisciplinary discussions regarding appropriate management and care.

Network meta-analysis of temporary mechanical circulatory support in acute myocardial infarction cardiogenic shock.

We performed a network meta-analysis of 11 published randomized clinical trials examining the use of temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices in adults with acute myocardial infarction cardiogenic shock, including 1,053 total patients with an observed in-hospital or 30-day mortality of 40.4%. None of the temporary MCS devices was associated with lower in-hospital or 30-day mortality compared with initial medical therapy or any other MCS device, either individually or in combination. These data do not support the routine use of temporary MCS devices for the purpose of reducing short-term mortality in unselected patients with acute myocardial infarction cardiogenic shock.

Effect of cooling methods and target temperature on outcomes in comatose patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest: Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials.

BACKGROUND: Targeted temperature management (TTM) has been recommended after cardiac arrest (CA), however the specific temperature targets and cooling methods (intravascular cooling (IVC) versus surface cooling (SC)) remain uncertain. METHODS: PUBMED and EMBASE were searched until October 8, 2022 for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of TTM after CA. The randomized treatment arms were categorized into the following 6 groups: 31..C to 33..C IVC, 31..C to 33..C SC, 34..C to 36..C IVC, 34..C to 36..C SC, strict normothermia or fever prevention (Strict NT or FP), and standard of care without TTM (No-TTM). The primary outcome was neurological recovery. P-score was used to rank the treatments, where a larger value indicates better performance. RESULTS: We identified 15 RCTs, involving 5,218 patients with CA. Compared to No-TTM as the reference, the other therapeutic options significantly improved neurological outcomes (vs No-TTM; 31..C to 33.. C IVC: RR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.83; 31..C to 33..C SC RR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.87; 34..C to 36.. C IVC: RR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.86; 34..C to 36..C SC: RR = 0.73, 0.59 to 0.90; Strict NT or FP: RR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.90). Overall, 31-33..C IVC had the highest probability to be the best therapeutic option to improve outcomes (the ranking P-score of 0.836). As a subgroup analysis, the ranking P-score showed that IVC might be a better cooling method compared to SC (IVC vs SC P-score: 0.960 vs 0.670). CONCLUSIONS: Hypothermia (31..C to 36..C IVC and SC) and active normothermia (Strict-NT and Strict-FP) were associated with better neurological outcomes compared to No-TTM, with IVC having a greater probability of being the better cooling method than SC.

Multimodality imaging in cardiogenic shock: state-of-the art.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There is emerging evidence on the role of the multimodality imaging in the setting of cardiogenic shock. The utility of different imaging modalities, along with their pitfalls and limitations, and their integration in a multiparametric approach are discussed in the current review. RECENT FINDINGS: The evaluation of congestion and perfusion in patients with shock has allowed a better understanding of the underlying physiopathological mechanisms. Integration of echocardiography, using more physiological parameters, with lung ultrasound, as well as the Doppler evaluation of abdominal blood flow dynamics, has led to a better stratification in patinas with hemodynamic instability. SUMMARY: Although validation of the integrated approaches and single parameters are needed, the physiopathological-driven approach using ultrasound in patients with cardiogenic shock on top of the clinical and biochemical evaluation, may aid to a quicker and more detailed evaluation of patient's phenotype.

Epidemiology of Acute Heart Failure in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19: An Analysis From the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network.

BACKGROUND: Acute heart failure (HF) is an important complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has been hypothesized to relate to inflammatory activation. METHODS: We evaluated consecutive intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for COVID-19 across 6 centers in the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network, identifying patients with vs without acute HF. Acute HF was subclassified as de novo vs acute-on-chronic, based on the absence or presence of prior HF. Clinical features, biomarker profiles and outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Of 901 admissions to an ICU due to COVID-19, 80 (8.9%) had acute HF, including 18 (2.0%) with classic cardiogenic shock (CS) and 37 (4.1%) with vasodilatory CS. The majority (n = 45) were de novo HF presentations. Compared to patients without acute HF, those with acute HF had higher cardiac troponin and natriuretic peptide levels and similar inflammatory biomarkers; patients with de novo HF had the highest cardiac troponin levels. Notably, among patients critically ill with COVID-19, illness severity (median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, 8 [IQR, 5-10] vs 6 [4-9]; P = 0.025) and mortality rates (43.8% vs 32.4%; P = 0.040) were modestly higher in patients with vs those without acute HF. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients critically ill with COVID-19, acute HF is distinguished more by biomarkers of myocardial injury and hemodynamic stress than by biomarkers of inflammation.

Trends in Therapy and Outcomes Associated With Respiratory Failure in Patients Admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

PURPOSE: To describe the epidemiology, outcomes, and temporal trends of respiratory failure in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort analysis of 2,986 unique Mayo Clinic CICU patients from 2007 to 2018 with respiratory failure. Temporal trends were analyzed, along with hospital and 1-year mortality. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine adjusted hospital mortality trends. RESULTS: The prevalence of respiratory failure in the CICU increased from 15% to 38% during the study period (P < 0.001 for trend). Among patients with respiratory failure, the utilization of invasive ventilation decreased and noninvasive ventilation modalities increased over time. Hospital mortality and 1-year mortality were 24% and 54%, respectively, with variation according to the type of respiratory support (highest among patients receiving invasive ventilation alone: 35% and 46%, respectively). Hospital mortality was highest among patients with concomitant cardiac arrest and/or shock (52% for patients with both). Hospital mortality decreased in the overall population from 35% to 25% (P < 0.001 for trend), but was unchanged among patients receiving positive-pressure ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of respiratory failure in CICU more than doubled during the last decade. The use of noninvasive respiratory support increased, while overall mortality declined over time. Cardiac arrest and shock accounted for the majority of deaths. Further research is needed to optimize the outcomes of high-risk CICU patients with respiratory failure.

Prevention of Complications in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Contemporary cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) have an increasing prevalence of noncardiovascular comorbidities and multisystem organ dysfunction. However, little guidance exists to support the development of best-practice principles specific to the CICU. This scientific statement evaluates strategies to avoid the potentially preventable complications encountered within contemporary CICUs, focusing on those that are most applicable to the CICU environment. This scientific statement reviews evidence-based practices derived in non-CICU populations, assesses their relevance to CICU practice, and highlights key knowledge gaps warranting further investigation to attenuate patient risk.

Association between Respiratory Failure and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Acute Heart Failure: Analysis of 5 Pooled Clinical Trials.

BACKGROUND: Despite a temporal increase in respiratory failure in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure (HF), clinical trials have largely not reported the incidence or associated clinical outcomes for patients requiring mechanical ventilation. METHODS AND RESULTS: After pooling 5 acute HF clinical trials, we used multivariable logistic regression adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, examinations, and laboratory findings to assess associations between mechanical ventilation and clinical outcomes. Among the 8296 patients, 210 (2.5%) required mechanical ventilation. Age, sex, smoking history, baseline ejection fraction, HF etiology, and the proportion of patients randomized to treatment or placebo in the original clinical trial were similar between groups (all, P > 0.05). Baseline diabetes mellitus was more common in the mechanical ventilation group (P = 0.02), but other comorbidities, including chronic lung disease, were otherwise similar (all P > 0.05). HF rehospitalization at 30 days (12.7% vs 6.6%, P < 0.001) and all-cause 60-day mortality (33.3% vs 6.1%, P < 0.001) was higher among patients requiring mechanical ventilation. After multivariable adjustment, mechanical ventilation use was associated with an increased 30-day HF rehospitalization (odds ratio 2.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-3.21, P = 0.002), 30-day mortality (odds ratio 10.40; 95% confidence interval, 7.22-14.98, P < 0.001), and 60-day mortality (odds ratio 7.68; 95% confidence interval, 5.50-10.74, P < 0.001). The influence of mechanical ventilation did not differ by HF etiology or baseline ejection fraction (both, interaction P > 0.20). CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory failure during an index hospitalization for acute HF was associated with increased rehospitalization and all-cause mortality. The development of respiratory failure during an acute HF admission identifies a particularly vulnerable population, which should be identified for closer monitoring.

De Novo vs Acute-on-Chronic Presentations of Heart Failure-Related Cardiogenic Shock: Insights from the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network Registry.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS) accounts for an increasing proportion of cases of CS in contemporary cardiac intensive care units. Whether the chronicity of HF identifies distinct clinical profiles of HF-CS is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: We evaluated admissions to cardiac intensive care units for HF-CS in 28 centers using data from the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network registry (2017-2020). HF-CS was defined as CS due to ventricular failure in the absence of acute myocardial infarction and was classified as de novo vs acute-on-chronic based on the absence or presence of a prior diagnosis of HF, respectively. Clinical features, resource use, and outcomes were compared among groups. Of 1405 admissions with HF-CS, 370 had de novo HF-CS (26.3%), and 1035 had acute-on-chronic HF-CS (73.7%). Patients with de novo HF-CS had a lower prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and chronic kidney disease (all P < 0.01). Median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores were higher in those with de novo HF-CS (8; 25th-75th: 5-11) vs acute-on-chronic HF-CS (6; 25th-75th: 4-9, P < 0.01), as was the proportion of Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention (SCAI) shock stage E (46.1% vs 26.1%, P < 0.01). After adjustment for clinical covariates and preceding cardiac arrest, the risk of in-hospital mortality was higher in patients with de novo HF-CS than in those with acute-on-chronic HF-CS (adjusted hazard ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.75, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Despite having fewer comorbidities, patients with de novo HF-CS had more severe shock presentations and worse in-hospital outcomes. Whether HF disease chronicity is associated with time-dependent compensatory adaptations, unique pathobiological features and responses to treatment in patients presenting with HF-CS warrants further investigation.

Tricuspid valve vegetation debulking using the AngioVac system.

Tricuspid valve endocarditis with recurrent septic pulmonary emboli is an indication for surgery. We present the case of a 36-year old man with tricuspid valve endocarditis and septic pulmonary emboli with percutaneous extraction of the vegetation. We discuss the nuances of such an approach and the need for more evidence in the management of these complex patients.

Cardiogenic shock complicating multisystem inflammatory syndrome following COVID-19 infection: a case report.

BACKGROUND: With the high prevalence of COVID-19 infections worldwide, the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) is becoming an increasingly recognized entity. This syndrome presents in patients several weeks after infection with COVID-19 and is associated with thrombosis, elevated inflammatory markers, hemodynamic compromise and cardiac dysfunction. Treatment is often with steroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). The pathologic basis of myocardial injury in MIS-A, however, is not well characterized. In our case report, we obtained endomyocardial biopsy that revealed a pattern of myocardial injury similar to that found in COVID-19 cardiac specimens. CASE PRESENTATION: A 26-year-old male presented with fevers, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea 5 weeks after his COVID-19 infection. His SARS-CoV-2 PCR was negative and IgG was positive, consistent with prior infection. He was found to be in cardiogenic shock with biventricular failure, requiring inotropes and diuretics. Given concern for acute fulminant myocarditis, an endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) was performed, showing an inflammatory infiltrate consisting predominantly of interstitial macrophages with scant T lymphocytes. The histologic pattern was similar to that of cardiac specimens from COVID-19 patients, helping rule out myocarditis as the prevailing diagnosis. His case was complicated by persistent hypoxemia, and a computed tomography scan revealed pulmonary emboli. He received IVIg, steroids, and anticoagulation with rapid recovery of biventricular function. CONCLUSIONS: MIS-A should be considered as the diagnosis in patients presenting several weeks after COVID-19 infection with severe inflammation and multi-organ involvement. In our case, EMB facilitated identification of MIS-A and guided therapy. The patient's biventricular function recovered with IVIg and steroids.

Coronary artery bypass grafting versus percutaneous coronary intervention for myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) is associated with high mortality. Early coronary revascularization improves survival, but the optimal mode of revascularization remains uncertain. We sought to characterize practice patterns and outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with MI complicated by CS. METHODS: Patients hospitalized for MI with CS between 2002 and 2014 were identified from the United States National Inpatient Sample. Trends in management were evaluated over time. Propensity score matching was performed to identify cohorts with similar baseline characteristics and MI presentations who underwent PCI and CABG. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 386,811 hospitalizations for MI with CS were identified; 67% were STEMI. Overall, 62.4% of patients underwent revascularization, with PCI in 44.9%, CABG in 14.1%, and a hybrid approach in 3.4%. Coronary revascularization for MI and CS increased over time, from 51.5% in 2002 to 67.4% in 2014 (P for trend < .001). Patients who underwent CABG were more likely to have diabetes mellitus (35.5% vs. 29.2%, P < .001) and less likely to present with STEMI (48.7% vs. 80.9%, P < .001) than those who underwent PCI. CABG (without PCI) was associated with lower mortality than PCI (without CABG) overall (18.9% vs. 29.0%, P < .001) and in a propensity-matched subgroup of 19,882 patients (19.0% vs. 27.0%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: CABG was associated with lower in-hospital mortality than PCI among patients with MI complicated by CS. Due to the likelihood of residual confounding, a randomized trial of PCI versus CABG in patients with MI, CS, and multi-vessel coronary disease is warranted.

Public perception towards bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

OBJECTIVE: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) improves survival and neurological outcomes. Nonetheless, many OHCA patients do not receive bystander CPR during a witnessed arrest. Our aim was to identify potential barriers to bystander CPR. METHODS: Participants at CPR training events conducted in the USA between February and May 2018 answered a 14-question survey prior to training. Respondents were asked about their overall comfort level performing CPR, and about potential concerns specific to performing CPR on a middle-aged female, a geriatric male, and male and female adolescent patients. Open-ended responses were analysed qualitatively by categorising responses into themes. RESULTS: Of the 677 participants, 582 (86.0%) completed the survey, with 509 (88.1%) between 18 and 29 years of age, 341 (58.6%) without prior CPR training and 556 (96.0%) without prior CPR experience. Across all four scenarios of patients in cardiac arrest, less than 65% of respondents reported that they would be 'Extremely Likely' (20.6%-29.1%) or 'Moderately Likely' (26.9%-34.8%) to initiate CPR. The leading concerns were 'causing injury to patient' for geriatric (n=193, 63.1%), female (n=51, 20.5%) and adolescent (n=148, 50.9%) patients. Lack of appropriate skills was the second leading concern when the victim was a geriatric (n=41, 13.4%) or adolescent (n=68, 23.4%) patient, whereas for female patients, 35 (14.1%) were concerned about exposing the patient or the patient's breasts interfering with performance of CPR and 15 (6.0%) were concerned about being accused of sexual assault. Significant differences were observed in race, ethnicity and age regarding the likelihood of starting to perform CPR on female and adolescent patients. CONCLUSIONS: Participants at CPR training events have multiple concerns and fears related to performing bystander CPR. Causing additional harm and lack of skills were among the leading reservations reported. These findings should be considered for improved CPR training and public education.